Scottish Workers' Representation Committee

Scottish Workers' Representation Committee
General Secretary Robert Allan (1900–1902)
George Carson (1902–1909)
Founded 1899
Dissolved 1909
Merged into Labour Party
Trade Union Wing Scottish Trades Union Congress
Ideology Big Tent Socialism
Political position Left-wing

Scottish Workers' Representation Committee was the parliamentary outfit of the Scottish Trades Union Congress from 1899 until 1909. It was known as the Scottish Workers Parliamentary Elections Committee until 1903. In contrast to the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in England, SWRC was able to maintain organisational unity between different strands of ideological tendencies in Scotland, ranging from Marxist, Catholic and Fabian socialists.

History

The SWPEC's first contest was the 1900 UK general election. It sponsored radical journalist A. E. Fletcher in Glasgow Camlachie. He received 3,107 votes and did not win the seat. It then stood Robert Smillie, a leader of the miners' trade union, at the North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1901, and was also defeated. When another by-election arose in North East Lanarkshire, in 1904, another miners' leader was selected, John Robertson, who again failed to win the seat.[1]

At the 1906 general election, The SWRC stood five candidates: John Robertson in North East Lanarkshire, Joseph Sullivan in North West Lanarkshire, David Gilmour in Falkirk Burghs, James Brown in North Ayrshire, and Robert Smillie in Paisley. The candidates altogether won a total of 14,877 votes, but all failed to win a single seat.[1]

Following this failure, the party decided to align itself more closely with the successor of the LRC, the Labour Party, and it took the name Labour Party (Scottish Section).[2] In 1909, it merged fully with the Labour Party. In 1915, a Scottish Council was formed within the Labour Party.

Election results

1900 UK general election

ConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePositionSponsor[3]
Glasgow CamlachieAlfred Ewen Fletcher3,10741.72ILP

By-election, 1900 - 1906

ElectionCandidateVotesPercentagePositionSponsor[3]
North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1901Robert Smillie2,90021.73Miners
North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1904John Robertson3,98427.93Miners

1906 UK general election

ConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePositionSponsor[3]
Falkirk BurghsDavid Gilmour1,76317.53Miners
North AyrshireJames Brown2,68420.83Miners
North East LanarkshireJohn Robertson4,65829.23Miners
North West LanarkshireJoseph Sullivan3,29123.93Miners
PaisleyRobert Smillie2,48223.13Miners

References

  1. 1 2 Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, p.296
  2. ↑ Knox, William (1987). James Maxton. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 7. ISBN 0719021529.
  3. 1 2 3 Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics 1900-1906, p.296
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